Circular knitting machine



March 28, 1967 Filed May 6, 1964 FIGI.

8 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS.

PETER A. MAHLER YSAMUEL R. MARTIN ATT S.

March 28, 1967 P. A. MAHLER ETAL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE v 8Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 6, 1964 FIGBw.

INVENTORSZ PETER A. MAHLER SAMUEL R. MARTIN Afl ATTYS March 28, 1967 P.A. MAHLER ETAL smwm CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1964 8Sheets-Sheet 5 A27 2 /2/ 22 PIC-5 5 PETER A. MAHLER SAMUEL R. MARTININVENTORSZ ATTYS.

March 1967 P. A. MAHLER ETAL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed May 6, 1964 INVENTORSI PETER A. MAHLER SAMUEL R. MARTIN ATTYS.

March 28, 1967 P. A. MAHLER ETAL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 6,1964 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 IHHIHHHIIIIHHIIHIHHHIIHIHIIIII IHIHIHHIIHHIIHI FI6. I 2.

.HmmmmHI PETER A. MAHLER SAMUEL R. MARTIN INVENTORS.

P. A. MAHLER ETAL CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE March 28, 1967 8Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 6, 1964 llllllllllll llllil INVENTORS: MAHLER PETER A. BY SAMUEL R. MARTIN MW ATTYS March 28, 1967 P. A. MAHLER ETALCIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed May 6, 1964 FIGI4.

FIGIS.

INVENTORS:

PETER A. MAHLER BY SAMUEL R. MARTIN AT T Y5.

March 28, 1967 P. A. MAHLER ETAL 3,310,962

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1964 8 Shee s-Sheet 8 FIGI8.FIGIQ. FIGZO. F162 I.

F1622. efg llJ/f/lmno INVENTOR 5: PETER A. MAHLER SAMUEL R. MARTIN WW1;59m 7 ATTYS.

United States Patent Cfiice 3,31%,962 Patented Mar. 28, 1967 3,310,962CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Peter A. Mahler and Samuel R. Martin, both ofHigh Point, N.C., assignors to The Singer Company, New York, N.Y., acorporation of New Jersey Filed May 6, 1964, Ser. No. 365,288 4 Claims.(CI. 66-42) The present invention relates to a method and apparatus forknitting ladies stockings and more particularly to a method andapparatus for knitting the heel pouch of ladies seamless stockings on acircular, multi-feed knitting machine wherein the needle cylinderrotates continuously in the same direction during the knitting of theentire stocking.

In the manufacture of womens hosiery, it is usual to form a pouch at theheel of the stocking by providing additional fabric at this location. Inseamless stockings knit on a circular knitting machine it is customaryto provide the heel pouch by knitting on approximately half of theneedle circle and reciprocating the needle cylinder while knitting thatportion of the stocking. Since the cylinder must reciprocate, there is areduction in the production rate of the machine in producing thestocking.

In recent years to increase the production rate of womens hosiery oncircular knitting machines, the machines have been designed toaccommodate additional feed stations so that multiple courses could beknit in one cylinder revolution. In the case of four-feed machines, tosimplify the mechanism and prevent crowding, and to increase theproduction rate of such machines, reciprocation of the cylinder wasomitted and therefore the knitting was conducted in only one directionof cylinder rotation. The heel pouch in such stockings is formed in thefinishing operation by stretching the stocking over a form and settingthe yarn to the forms shape. To reinforce such a pouch, a yarn having adifferent weight is introduced in this portion of the cylinderrevolution at the heel. Preferably the outline of the reinforcingsimulates the appearance of the reciprocated heel, but such a heel doesnot have all of the desirable characteristics of a reciprocated heel,and there is a demand for a knit-in pouch.

Thus it is a principal object of the present invention to provide amethod and apparatus for producing a knit-in heel pouch in a ladiesstocking on a multi-feed circular knitting machine in which the needlecylinder does not reciprocate but rotates continuously in one directionduring the entire formation of the stocking.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method andapparatus for knitting a seamless stocking with a heel pouch of improvedappearance.

Another object of the present invention is to knit-in the desired heelpouch by use of the novel apparatus which in accordance with the methodof the present invention operates to omit every other course from theinstep during the knitting of the stocking heel.

Another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus which inconjunction with the knitting instrumentalities assures uniform lock-inof yarn ends between the edges of the heel pouch and the instep withoutcausing eyelet formation.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide novelapparatus which facilitates proper insertion of yarn and withdrawal ofthe same between the instep and the heel portion of the stocking as itis knitted.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method offorming a pouched heel on a circular knitting machine having acontinuously rotating cylinder by, during the formation of the heelpocket, introducing yarns of a different character in alternate coursesof the instep of the stocking.

' Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be hadby referring to the following specification and claims taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of a circular knittingmachine embodying the present invention, with certain portions removedto more clearly show the pertinent parts of the machine;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3a is a fragmentary reduced-scale plan view ofpattern-drum-controlled linkages which cooperate with the apparatusillustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the portion of the knitting machineillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view in plan taken along line 6-6 ofFIG. 4 showing a sinker-dial controlled feed finger actuator in fulllines in operative position and in broken lines in an inoperativeposition;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view in plan, showing theapparatus of FIG. 6 in the operative position, in full lines beingactivated and in broken lines being inactivated;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a schematic layout of the needle and jack cams as viewed fromthe inside of the needle cylinder and illustrating the needle and jackpaths as well as the relative location of the yarn feeding stations;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view of the portion of the needlecams as viewed from line 1010 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 11-11of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11a is an enlarged perspective-view showing the entire camillustrated in FIG. 11 as viewed from the outside of the needlecylinder;

FIG. 11b is an enlarged perspective view showing the opposite side ofthe cam shown in FIG. 11a;

FIG. 12 is a schematic layout of the needle and jack butts;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the mechanism which operates on the jacks withportions of the machine removed to better show its operation;

FIGS. 13a and 13b show certain ratchet elements of the jack operatingmechanism removed from the machine;

FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG.13;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 15-15of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 (sheet 5) is a schematic illustration of the knitted coursescomprising a heel pouch made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 17 (sheet 5) is a schematic illustration of another heel pouch madein accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a rear elevation of a stocking blank having a heel pouch asillustrated in FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 illustrates a ladies hose in side elevation after the finishingoperations;

FIGS. 20 and 21 are views of a stocking blank and finished stockingrespectively embodying a heel pouch knitted as illustrated in FIG. 17;and

FIG. 22 is a schematic loop diagram illustrating a portion of a heelpouch knitted in accordance with the present invention and illustratingthe knitting transition between the heel and the instep of the stocking.

Referring now to the drawings, and especially FIGS.

1, 2, 3, and 5, the knitting machine illustrated therein comprises arotary needle bed or cylinder having axial slots 11 arranged about itsouter periphery and mounting a plurality of axially slidable, latchneedles 16 therein. Surrounding the upper portion of the needle cylinderIt! is afiixed sinker cap 22 and a sinker dial 20 (see FIG. 2) whichrotates with the needle cylinder 10 and mounts a ring of sinkers 21which cooperate with the needles 16 in a conventional manner. Underlyingthe needles 16 in the slots 11 are jacks 25 having a plurality ofradially projecting butts thereon. Within the circle of needles 16, arotary dial 30 is mounted for rotation in synchronism with the needlecylinder 10. The dial 30 carries a series of conventional bitts 31 undera stationary dial cap 33 and an annular toothed ring 34 overlying thebitts. On the dial cap 33 is mounted a cutter 38 which cooperates withthe toothed ring 34, guide wires 39 and 40, and suction tube 41 whichoperate respectively to sever, guide, and hold the yarn.

Surrounding the circle of needles 16 is a yarn carrier ring 42 which isinterrupted at a plurality of locations by feed stations, in the presentinstance four which are designated 45, 46, 47, and 48. As inconventional practice, each of the feed stations comprises a throatplate 49 and a plurality of feed fingers which are designated bysubletters after the feed station designation. In accordance with theusual practice, the needle cylinder and dial are rotated and the feedfingers are operated in timed relation to the needle cylinder to insertyarns into and withdraw yarns out of action by conventional patternmechanism (not shown) such as a pattern drum and a pattern chain.

Extending about the needle cylinder 10, and cooperating with the butts16 of the needles is a cam box 50 which, as illustrated in FIG. 9, hasthe same number of cam sets, designated 55 through 58 respectively, asthere are yarn feed stations 45 through 48. Each of the cam sets has ariser cam, designated by the subletter a associated with the cam setnumber (sets associated with the first and third feed stations includinga clearing slide cam designated by the subletter c), and a stitch camdesignated by the subletter b with its associated cam set designation,it being noted that the riser cam in every case is positionedimmediately subsequent to the stitch cam of the preceding cam set.

In accordance with the invention, the production of the desired pouchshape for the heel of a womans stocking is facilitated by the use of thenovel apparatus which operates to omit, in the instance of a four-feedmachine as above-described, every other course from the instep of thestocking during the knitting of the stocking heel. To this end and inaccordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the needlelayout of the cylinder comprises needles of at least three classes,i.e., three butt lengths. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the needles havingshort butts are designated 16a, those having intermediate length buttsare designated 1612 while the needles with the longest butts aredesignated 16c. During the knitting of the heel pouch, at the first andthird feeds all of the needles take and knit at least one yarn, whilethe long butt needles may be elevated above the clearing level and takeand knit a reinforcing yarn. However at the second and fourth feedstations a novel cam permits only the long and intermediate butt lengthneedles to take yarn, notably a body and reinforcing yarn, and only thelong butt needles to knit. In this manner two out of every four coursesare knit on the short butt needles in the instep while four courses arebeing knit in the heel thus providing a heel pouch.

During normal knitting of the stocking, such as in the leg or footportion, the needles 16 follow the path 60 as illustrated in FIG. 9, andwith each of the feed fingers 45a-48a respectively carrying a body yarnand in a yarn feeding position, four courses will be knit everyrevolution of the cylinder 10. However, because of the novel camarrangement at the second and fourth feeding stations 4-6 and 48respectively, at the heel portion of the stocking, only. the first andthird feeds knit continuously, while the second and fourth feeds knitsolely at the heel pocket and miss entirely knitted courses in theinstep thus producing a heel pouch of the desired form.

In order to increase the durability of the stocking at the heel pouch,and in order to setoff this portion of the knitted stocking, additionalyarn of an increased weight such as 40 denier yarn is added to theneedless as they knit this portion of the stocking, this is accomplishedby placing feed fingers 46b and 48b and float fingers 45b and 47b intoaction during the knitting of the heel pouch and thereafter removing thefingers from action and cutting the heavier weight reinforcing yarn.While it is common practice to reinforce on alternate courses, it isfrequently desired to reinforce at each course. The positioning of yarnfioat fingers 45b and 47b into and out of their active feeding positionsis accomplished, as prcviously described, by conventional patterningmechanism which is not part of this invention. The apparatus, on theother hand, by which the feed fingers 46a and 46b and 48a and 48b areinserted into and removed from action at the beginning of the heelpocket in each course and the end of the heel pocket in each course willbe described more fully hereinafter.

FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrate a stocking knitted in accordance with thepresent invention wherein the leg is designated as 80, the heel pouchdesignated as and the foot portion of the stocking is designated as 90.A

course diagram (FIG. 16) illustrates knitted courses schematically bylines and shows a portion of the leg 88, the foot 90, and the whole ofthe heel pouch 85, while identifying by reference numbers the feedswherein the heel and instep of the stocking are formed.

In accordance with the invention, novel riser cams, 56a and 58a of thecam sets 56 and 58 are provided with means whereby the long butt needles16c raise to the stitch clearing level, the intermediate butt needles16b raise to the tuck level, and the short butt needles 16a pass by thecam set and take no yarn at all. As the cam sets 56 and 58 are identicalin all essential respects, reference will be made to FIGS. 11a and 11bwith regard to the cam set 58.

As is illustrated in FIG. 11b, the leading surface of the cam 58a is aneedle rising surface 61 provided with an interruption or gap 62. Aneedle butt groove 63 extends through the cam at one level from theinterruption 62. A slide 64 is mounted for radial movement in registrywith the interruption 62 and is dimensioned and normally positioned withrespect to the interruption so that, for example when knitting the legand foot portion of the stocking, it bridges the gap and a smoothcamrning surface is provided for needless of all classes. Substantiallyparallel to the slide 64 and intersecting the needle butt groove 63 is asecond slide cam 66 which is radially movable and dimensioned andpositioned to intersect the needle butt groove 63 and of sufiicientlength along its cam surface to raise the needles whose butts engage theslide 66 to the tuck level.

As previously explained, when knitting the leg 3t? or foot of thestocking, the first needle slide 64 will be positioned in theinterruption 62 thereby causing all needles to be elevated to the stitchclearing level. When knitting the heel portion of the stocking however,the first needle slide 64 and the second needle slide 66 are movedradially outwardly by slide actuating means 70 which will be more fullydescribed hereinafter. The first needle slide 64 is moved a radialdistance sufiicient to permit only those needles designated 16c, i.e.the long butt needles, to engage the slide 64 and travel up the needlerising surface 61 to take yarn and draw down at the associated stitchcam. Simultaneously, the second needle rising slide cam 66 is radiallypositioned to permit those needles with intermediate length butts, i.e.the

needles 16b, to engage the slide and rise to an intermediate or tucklevel. The short butt needles 16a, will miss both slides 64 and 66 andthus will pass along the needle butt groove 63 and not attain a level totake yarn. The purpose of raising a few needles 16b on either side ofthe long butt needles 160 to the intermediate or tuck level is toprovide a lock-in along the edge of the heel pouch, which lock-in willbe more fully described hereinafter.

The slide actuating means 76 for the cam 58a is best illustrated inFIGS. 3, 3a, and 5 and comprises a pair of spring biased arms 71a and71b connected to the outer extensions of the slides 64 and 66respectively. (See FIG. 5.) The arms 71a and 71b are pivoted at 72 andare connected to members 76a and 7 61) for operation from bell crankfollowers 77a and 77b through associated linkage including rods 73a, 73band bell cranks 74a, 74b having a pivot at '75. The bell crank follower77a is pivoted at 78 and moves the member 76a to the left, as viewed inFIG. 5, when the follower rides down the cam 12 on a pattern drum 13.The follower 77b is operated similarly from the drum. This causes theslides 64 and 66 to move radially to the positions heretofore described.

The first and second slides 164 and 166 of the second feed riser cam56:: are actuated in substantially the same manner, and in fact from thesame pattern drum 13. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 3a, the first needle slide164 and the second needle slide 166 are positioned by feed slideactuating means 170 which in the present instance comprises a pair ofhell cranks 171a and 171b which pivot about points 172 and 173 and areconnected through members 174 and 175 to cam followers which operate ina manner similar to that previously described with respect to slides 64and 66 associated with riser cam 58a.

Yarn insertion and withdrawal As previously explained with respect toFIG. 16, a reinforcing yarn usually of about 40 denier weight is addedto the heel pouch during the knitting at least at the second and fourthfeeds, and frequently at all four feeds. As explained, the insertion andwithdrawal of the reinforcing yarn at the first and third feeds may beconventionally accomplished by raising the needles 160 to a reinforcinglevel to take yarn from the float fingers 45b and 47b. This is morefully described in the Mahler Patent No. 3,111,827. In any event, as isillustrated in FIG. 16, at the second and fourth feeds it is necessaryto insert both a body yarn and a reinforcing yarn only during theknitting of the heel pouch 85, and at the end thereof to elevate theyarns to permit the same to be severed.

The primary purpose of elevating the yarn fingers carrying the yarns isto place the yarn removed from knitting in a position to be carried bythe serrated ring 34 to the cutter 38. Further, as insertion andwithdrawal of both the body and reinforcing yarn must be accomplishedtwice every revolution of the needle cylinder, yarn finger elevatingmeans is directly coupled to the cylinder so as to be operative at thesecond and fourth feeds. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 a cam110 having a slight radial protrusion is connected to the sinker dial211, its leading edge 111 in the direction of cylinder rotation beingangularly spaced from the trailing edge of the needles associated withthe heel pouch 85. Thus the cam 116 is positioned so that it iseffective to elevate the yarn feed fingers containing the body andreinforcing yarns at both the second and fourth feeds after the trailingintermediate butt length needles 16b have passed the feed stations 46and 48.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 3a, 4, 6, 7, and 8 the yar finger elevatingmeans illustrated therein is rendered operative from the pattern drum 13(FIG. 3a). The elevating means comprises a bell crank 115 having a pin116 (FIG. 4) which underlies the yarn feeding fingers 48b and 48a, sothat upon clockwise movement of the bell crank 115 about its pivot 117,these feed fingers are elevated from their active to an elevatedposition. A cam follower 118,

6 one end of which abuts the bell crank at 119, the other end of whichhas a camming surface 120, is pivoted at 121 on a link 122. One end ofthe link is pivoted at 124 on the sinker cap 22, and the other end isconnected through a member 126 to a conventional cam follower 127 whichis in engagement with the pattern drum 13. When rendered operative, asbest illustrated in FIG. 6, the link 122 is moved rearwardly orcounterclockwise about its pivot 124 from the broken line position tothe full line position, thus moving the cam follower 118 to a pointadjacent the sinker dial 20. Thus when the camming surface 120 of thecam follower 118 engages the earn 110, as shown in FIG. 7 the camfollower moves clockwise about its pivot 121 to the full line positionof FIG. 7

causing the abutting end 119 to move the bell crank 115' about its pivot117, thus raising the feed fingers 48a and 48b. Thus the cam 110 causesthe yarn fingers 48a and 48b, carrying their associated body andreinforcing yarns respectively, to be elevated once every revolution ofthe needle cylinder. It should be noted that the trailing edge of thecam 110, designated as 111a, releases the pressure on the cam follower118 causing counterclockwise movement of the bell crank 115 and thuspermitting the yarn fingers 48a and 48b to move into an active positionfor feeding yarns during the next revolution of the cylinder.

The principle of operation and yarn finger elevating means associatedwith feed station 46 are essentially the same as that previouslydescribed with regard to feed station 48; a cam follower 118a beingpositioned for actuation by the cam 110 when a link 122a is in activeposition. The link 122a is controlled simultaneously with the link 122by rods 127 and 128 in conjunction with a pivoted plate 129.

Method of operation The method of knitting the heel pouch will now bedescribed in relation to FIGS. 9, 12, 16, and 22.

Referring first to FIGS. 9 and 16, the leg portion 88 of the womansstocking is knit continuously with the feeds 45 through 48 having thefeed fingers 45a through 48a respectively in an active position andfeeding yarn. Because in the knitting of the leg portion the slides 64and 164 associated with riser cams 58a and 56a respectively are fullyinserted, all of the needles 16 take yarn and knit. At the outset of theheel pocket at feed station 45, if it is desired to reinforce at thisfeed, float finger 45b, carrying a reinforcing yarn, is made active andpositioned at a reinforcing height, i.e. a level just above the level ofyarn fed to needles at a clearing height. When reinforcing, the needles16c, i.e. the needles corresponding to the selected portion of theneedle circle wherein the heel pocket is formed, are raised to thereinforcing level by moving a slide into position to engage and elevateonly the needles 160. In this manner the needles 16c knit both areinforcing and a body yarn at the first feed station 45. After theneedles 16c pass through the feed station, the yarn is carried by thelast needle and the serrated ring to the cutter 38. (See FIG. 1.) The remainder of the needles, i.e. those needles designated 16a and 16b inFIG. 12, receive in their hooks only the yarn being fed from the alwaysactive feed finger 45a, and thus are drawn down by the stitch cam 55])and form loops in a conventional manner. Simultaneously with the aboveoccurrence, the slide actuating means 74) and associated with the camsets 58 and 56 position the first needle slides 64 and 164 to engageonly the long butt needles 16c and the second needle slides 66 and 166engage the intermediate butt needles 165. These slides remain in thisposition during the remainder of the knitting of the heel pouch.Simultaneously with this occurrence, the yarn finger elevating meansassociated with feed stations 46 and 48 move the cam followers 118a and118 respectively into active position adjacent the sinker dial, aspreviously described, so as to permit the cam 110 to move the yarn fedfingers 46a and 46b, associated with feed station 46, and yarn feedfingers 48a 7 and 48b, associated with feed station 48, between activeand elevated positions. In a manner similar to that previouslydescribed, the yarn finger elevating means stays active throughout theremainder of the knitted heel pouch.

Upon reaching the second feed riser cam 56a, the needles 16a will passalong the needle butt groove 163 and therefore not receive any yarn atfeed station as. The four needles 16b at each side of the needles 160 asillustrated in FIG. 12, having butts of insufficient length to engagethe first needle slide 164,.pass into the needle butt groove 163 andengage the slide 166, causing these needles to raise to a tuck or anonclearing height, thus retaining in their hooks the yarn fed to themat the first feed station 45 and receiving in their hooks the body andreinforcing yarn being fed at feed station 46. The remaining long buttneedles 160, will strike the first needle slide 164 and be cammedupwardly along the cam rising surface 161 to a stitch clearing level andthere, receive the body and reinforcing yarn being fed by feed fingers46a and 46b. After the last intermediate butt needle 16b leaves thestitch cam 56b, both of the feed fingers 46a and 461) are elevated bythe cam 110 to insure carrying of the yarn by the serrated ring 34 tothe cutter 3S, and holding of the loose yarn ends, after cutting, by theair suction means 41.

At the third feed all needles again knit, if reinforcing is desired thefloat finger 47b being placed at the reinforcing level so as to feed areinforcing yarn to the needles 160 as they are elevated to areinforcing height in the same manner as at the first feed station 45.It is important to note at this time, and referring to FIGS. 9 and 12especially, that the group of needles which comprise three intermediatelength butt needles 161), one long butt needle 16c, another intermediatelength butt needle 16b and located at either side of the needles 16c,provide the lock-in of the yarn which have been inserted and removed atthe previous feed station, i.e. station 46. The reason for this is thatthe needles 16b at station 46, did not raise, when taking yarns beingfed by the feed fingers 46a and 46b to a clearing level and thus theyarns from the first feed station 45 were retained in the hooks at thisfeed station. However, since all of the needles are raised to the stitchclearing level by the action of the rise cam 57a and slide 570 at thethird feed station 47, the needles 16b also rise to a stitch clearinglevel causing the yarns in the hook to clear the latch of the needle andmove onto the shank of the needle. Thus as the needles move down thestitch cam 57]) the yarns are cast over the hook and form a lock-in.

With regard to the fourth feed station, 48, the action is the same asthat previously described with respect to feed station 46, the shortbutt needles 160 passing through the needle butt groove 63, theintermediate butt length. needles 16!) moving .up the slide 66 to a tuckheight, and the needles 16c moving up the slide 64 to a stitch clearinglevel. Throughout the remainder of the heel pouch, knitting continues asdescribed above.

A portion of the heel pocket including the lock-in area is illustratedin FIG. 22. Wherein the wales have been designated a through p and theyarns fed by the feed stations designated the appropriate feed stationnumber. It should be noted that the loops in Wales m n and p are formedat the feed stations 45 and 47 only and comprise a single loop of bodyyarn fed by feed fingers 45a and 47a respectively. For sake of clarity,single yarns are shown in wales 61-1 to avoid confusion and betterillustrate the lock-in at the heel portion, however it should beunderstood that the loops, for example in the Wale a may be composed ofbody and reinforcing yarns. Also, relating FIG. 22 to FIGS. 9 and 12,the heel portion which is knitted by the needles 160 have been sodesignated as well as the needles forming the lock-ins and the instep ofthe stocking.

Thus in the knitting of the heel portion of the stocking, the first andthird feeds knit body yarns on all of the needles and may introduce intothe needles 160 a reinforcing yarn, while at the second and fourth feedsnovel cams allow only the needles 16-1) and 160 to take body andreinforcing yarns.

It is also possible with the method of the present invention to providean extension of the reinforcements in the heel to thereby provide apanelled area at both sides of the heel pouch. Such a panelled area 56aand %6b is illustrated in FIG. 17 which shows the heel pouch and aportion of the instep of the stocking illustrated in FIGS. 20 and 21. InFIGS. 17, 20, and 21, the leg of the stocking is designated a, the foot96a, While the heel pouch is designated a.

The means for providing a panelled reinforcement 86a and 86b on eitherside of the heel pouch 85a is fully set forth in the Mahler Patent No.3,111,827, however the apparatus by which this is accomplished will bebriefly described hereinafter. In order to provide the panelled areas86a and 851), which are formed only at feeds 1 and 3, the number ofneedles selected at either side of the heel pouch at yarn feedingstations 45 and 47 is gradually increased and then decreased with therotation of the needle cylinder. That is, at these stations, the numberof needles moved to a reinforcing level to take a reinforcing and a bodyyarn is gradually increased until the desired Width of the panel isreached and then gradually decreased to the point coinciding with thelast knitted course of the heel pouch.

This is accomplished by providing on the jacks 25, underlying theneedles 16b and lc, and at least some of the needles lea, selectivelydiffering butt lengths at, in the present instance, three successivelevels. As illus trated in FIG. 12 the jacks have butts at a level 2%, alevel 28b, and a level 29c. From an examination of FIGS. 9 and 15 it isapparent that these selectively differing butts cooperate with jackslides 201, 2112, and 203 at the first jack selection station 201 andwith the jack slides 211, 212, and 213 at the second jack selectionstation 211 the butts at the level 22a cooperating with slides 20:1 and211, the butts at the level 29b cooperating with the slides 2G2 and 212,and the butts at the level 290 cooperating with the slides 203 and 213.

The jack slides 291-203 and the jack slides 211-213 are selected inprogression -by a plurality of superimposed, radially-stepped, rotatablydriven cams 220, in the present instance a separate cam for each slide,i.e. three cams per jack selection station. (See FIG. 13.) For example,the cam 221 associated with the jack selection station 210, has aplurality of steps which radiate from a low position 222 and increaseprogressively to the outer periphery ofthe cam. Another cam 223associated with jack selection station 2%, is constructed the same ascam 221 but underlies and is angularly ofiset therefrom. The cam 221operates through slide actuating means comprising a cam follower 225, apush rod 226, and a pair of hell cranks 227 and 228 to cause movement ofthe slide 211 of the jack selecting station 2110 as the cam 221 isrotated. Identical slide actuating mechanism underlies theabove-described slide actuating means and causes in a like mannermovement of the slides 212 and 213 in response to stepped cams similarto those shown in the afore-mentioned Mahler patent. In a like manner, acam follower 229, upon rotation of the cam 223, causes progressivemovement of the slide 261 of the first jack slide selection station 260.As the cams 220 are stepped radially both inwardly and outwardly, asnoted in FIG. 13, and rotate in a clockwise direction, the slides willfirst be moved radially inwardly and then radially outwardly thusproviding, by means of the selectively differing butt lengths, a gradualincrease of the needles selected at both sides of the heel pouch andthereafter a gradual decrease in the number of needles selected thuscreating a panel of knitting reinforcement at either side of the heelpouch. The shape of the panel may be modified by altering the contour ofthe cams or by providing dwells. in the advance thereof.

The driving means for causing rotation of the cams so as to provideprogressive selection of the jacks and therefore the needles, isillustrated in FIGS. 13-14 and includes a pawl 23% which is continuouslyoscillated over the circumferential length of one tooth 244 of a ratch241 as indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 13. This is accomplished byan eccentric 232, mounted on a main drive shaft 233 of the machine,continually causing oscillation of a cam follower 234 about its pivot235, causing movement of an arm 236 to which a pivoted plate 237 ismounted supporting the pawl 230.

As the ratio of the drive shaft 233 is 1:1 with the needle cylinder, andas it is desirable to knit two courses at each feed for every two-needleincrease at each panel, pawl over-riding means is provided so that thecams 220 are indexed so as to displace the slides radially once everytwo revolutions of the needle cylinder. To this end, the pawlover-riding means comprises a freely rotatable ratchet 240 which ridesloosely on the ratchet 241. The ratchet 241, however, is connected tothe cams 220 by a pin 242. As illustrated in FIG. 13a, the teeth of theratchet 240 have a pitch equal to the teeth of the ratchet 241, but theadjacent teeth of the ratchet 240 have diifering base heights. Thus theteeth 243, on the rachet 240, have a base height equal to the teeth 244on the ratchet 241 while the alternate teeth 245 on the ratchet 240 havea base height insufficient to permit the pawl 230 to engage the teeth244 of the ratchet 241. The outer diameter of the ratchet 241 is lessthan that of the ratchet 240, being equal to the root diameter of theteeth 245. Therefore every stroke of the pawl 230 causes one-toothmovement of the ratchet 240 but only every other stroke is operative tocause movement of the ratchet 241. Thus the movement of the slideactuating cams 220 has a ratio of 1:2 with respect to the cylinderrotation.

In order that when the cams 220 reach their low point, such as at 222 oncam 221, the pawl 230 does not continue to cause rotation of the cams, apawl stop 246 is mounted on the ratchet to prevent the pawl fromengaging and advancing the ratchets. Further, an additional pawl stop247 is located 180 degrees from pawl stop 246 which pawl stop acts uponthe pawl 23% to afford a dwell in the indexing of the cams 220 when allof the slides have been fully inserted and before they are retractedstepwise. In order to permit continued rotation of the cams 220 andallow disengagement of the pawl stops, stop over-riding means areprovided in conjunction with the pattern drum 13 (see FIG. 14). To thisend, a pin 248, located on the cam follower 234, is loosely engaged by apivoted arm 249 which is connected to a biased lever assembly 251. Thearm 249 normally permits the pin 248 to oscillate. However, when thelever assembly 251, and particularly a camming portion 252, engages acam 250 located inside the pattern drum 13, the lever assembly is rockedcounterclockwise causing engagement of the pin 248 by the arm 249 whichcauses the pawl 230 to over-ride the stop means.

In this manner progressive selection of the jack slides is caused whichselects a first increasing and then decreasing number of needlesadjacent the heel pouch thereby causing raising of these needles to areinforcing level, thus creating a reinforced panel at either side ofthe heel pouch.

As is well known in the art of knitting ladies stretch seamless hosiery,it is desirable to prevent twisting and an unseemly appearance of thestocking by knitting alternating courses with yarns of a ditferentcharacter thus preventing the unseemly appearance which occurs if allyarns knit at all stations are of the same character. Thus for examplein a two-feed machine, it is common practice to introduce yarns havingan S twist at the first feed station and yarns having a Z twist at thesecond feed station. In a four-feed machine as heretofore described,alternate feed stations are provided with yarns having the samecharacter, i.e. the same twist. Thus for example feed stations 45 and 47have yarns for kitting the leg and foot portion of the stocking, saidyarns having an S twist while the yarns introduced for knitting the sameportions of the stocking at feed stations 46 and 48 have a Z twist. Asmay readily be seen, since, in accordance with the invention, onlyalternate feeding stations provide yarn for knitting the instep of thestocking, in the present instance feed stations 45 and 47, and thesefeed stations both introduce yarns of the same character, it isdesirable to change the yarn associated with the feed stations whichintroduce yarn for the first course of the instep in order that it mayhave a character or twist different from that of the other feed stationwhich introduces the alternate yarn at the instep.

To this end and assuming that the first course of the instep isinitiated at the third feed, a feed finger 47c, provided with a yarnhaving a character opposite to that contained by the feed finger 4711,at the third feed station 47, is placed in an active position andthereafter the feed finger 47a is elevated to an inactive position. Thismeans that during the knitting of the heel portion of the stocking theassociated instep will be knitted with adjacent courses having yarns ofa different character or twist. In the same manner, after the knittingof the heel pouch has been completed, it is desirable to lower the feedfinger 47a to its active position and then remove the feed finger 47cfrom its active position. The insertion of these yarns is effectivelytimed so that plating of the yarn ends is performed at station 47 whenthe needles are taking yarn at this feed station, i.e. when thereinforced heel pouch is being knit.

It should be noted that each of the cam sets could be equipped withneedle slides similar to those in the cam sets 56 and 58, therebypermitting certain of the slides of the individual cam sets to beinserted and withdrawn so as to permit any combination of courses in theinstep versus courses in the heel. Of course, the maximum number ofcourses in the heel versus the minimum number of courses in the instepis 4:1 with a four feed machine. If this ratio were to be increased, itwould be necessary to insert and withdraw the needle slides selectivelyat the feed stations during the knitting of the heel pouch.

In summary a method and apparatus is provided for knitting an entirestocking on a uni-directionally rotating cylinder, multi-feed knittingmachine. This is accomplished by the novel apparatus and method of thepresent invention which permits knitting of four courses in the heelwhile knitting two courses in the instep of the stocking thereby givingshape to and forming a heel pouch on ladies seamless hosiery.

Although the invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity it is understood that the present disclosure has been madeonly by way of example and numerous changes in the details ofconstruction and the combination and arrangement of parts or the mode ofoperation may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. For a circular knitting machine comprising an axially slotted needlecylinder mounting a plurality of radially butted needles therein, a cambox circumscribing said cylinder and positioned to engage the butts ofthe needles, and means to cause relative movement between said cam boxand said cylinder thereby effecting axial movement of said needles to atleast one of three levels: stitch clearing, tuck and stitch draw; ariser cam in said box having a body portion and a needle rising surfacefor engagement with the butts of said needles, said needle risingsurface being of sufiicient length to raise said needles to at least aclearing height, said rising surface having a gap below the tuck level,and a needle butt groove extending from said gap through said bodyportion, said gap and needle butt groove having an axial height at leastequal to the axial height of the needle butts, a radially-movab1e firstslide cam dimensioned and normally positioned to bridge said gap so asto provide in conjunction with said rising surface a smooth,uninterrupted needle rising surface, a second radially-movable slide camhaving a needle camming surface and positioned substantially parallel tosaid first slide and intersecting said needle butt groove, said secondslide having a length along its cam surface sufiicient to raise needlesto a tuck level.

2. A riser cam for a circular knitting machine in accordance with claim1 wherein said circular knitting machine has a needle layout comprisingat least three classes of needle butts of differing radial lengths andwherein said riser cam, when said first slide is radially movedoutwardly, permits needles of a class having at least the longest radialbutts to move to a stitch clearing height, and the needles of at leastthe second of said classes to pass along said needle butt groove andengage said second slide cam for elevation to said tuck height.

3. In a multi-feed circular knitting machine comprising a circularneedle cylinder having axial slots about its periphery and mounting aplurality of latched needles therein, each of said needles havingradially projecting butts and a needle layout in said cylinder ofneedles having at least three classes of radial butt lengths, a cam boxabout said cylinder operable on said needle butts to cause verticalreciprocation of said needles upon relative rotation of said cam boxwith respect to said cylinder, at least two yarn feed stations spacedabout said cylinder each mounting a plurality of yarn feed fingers,stitchforming cam-sets in said cam box corresponding in number to thenumber of yarn feed stations, each of said cam sets including a needlerising cam surface and a stitch draw cam; the improvement in at leastone of said sets comprising an improved needle rising cam having a bodyportion and a needle camming surface of sulficient length to raiseneedles to a clearing height upon engagement of said surface with saidneedle butts, said rising cam surface having an interruption and meansdefining a needle butt groove extending from said interruption throughsaid body portion, a radially movable first slide cam dimensioned andnormally positioned so as to bridge said interruption in said camsurface whereby a smooth needle rising surface is provided, aradially-movable second slide cam having a needle camrning surface anddimensioned and positioned to intersect said needle butt groove, saidcamming surface being of sulficient length to raise needles to a tucklevel, slide actuating means connected to said first and second slidesand operable to cause selective radial movement of said slides wherebyoutward radial movement of said first slide permits only the class ofneedles having long butts to follow said carnming surface to the stitchclearing level, the remaining needles following said butt-groove, andthe second class of needles having intermediate length butts engagingthe camming surface of said second slide and thereby being raised to atuck level, the third class of needles having short butts moving alongsaid butt-groove and missing said second slide.

4. In a multi-feed circular knitting machine according to claim 3wherein said slide actuating means comprises pattern mechanism fordisplacing said slides to their operative position upon initiation ofsaid heel portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 811,577 2/1906Paxton et al 66-42 1,159,873 11/1915 Scott 66-49 X 1,231,443 6/1917Smith 66-185 1,488,682 4/1924 Jones 66-49 2,974,506 3/1961 Lawson 66-42X 2,980,981 4/1961 Reymes-Cole et al. 66-185 3,023,594 3/1962 Mahler66-42 3,080,739 3/1963 Baker 66-42 3,090,216 5/1963 Mahler 66-1403,093,985 6/1963 Brown 66-42 3,111,827 11/1963 Mahler et a1 66-493,148,518 9/1964 Peel et al 66-57 X 3,181,314 5/1965 Miller 66-42FOREIGN PATENTS 895,672 5/ 1962 Great Britain. 153,997 8/ 1963 Russia.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

W. C. REYNOLDS, Examiner.

1. FOR A CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE COMPRISING AN AXIALLY SLOTTED NEEDLECYLINDER MOUNTING A PLURALITY OF RADIALLY BUTTED NEEDLES THEREIN, A CAMBOX CIRCUMSCRIBING SAID CYLINDER AND POSITIONED TO ENGAGE THE BUTTS OFTHE NEEDLES, AND MEANS TO CAUSE RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID CAM BOXAND SAID CYLINDER THEREBY EFFECTING AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID NEEDLES TO ATLEAST ONE OF THREE LEVELS: STITCH CLEARING, TUCK AND STITCH DRAW; ARISER CAM IN SAID BOX HAVING A BODY PORTION AND A NEEDLE RISING SURFACEFOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BUTTS OF SAID NEEDLES, SAID NEEDLE RISINGSURFACE BEING OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH TO RAISE SAID NEEDLES TO AT LEAST ACLEARING HEIGHT, SAID RISING SURFACE HAVING A GAP BELOW THE TUCK LEVEL,AND A NEEDLE BUTT GROOVE EXTENDING FROM SRAID GAP THROUGH SAID BODYPORTION, SAID GAP AND NEEDLE BUTT GROOVE HAVING AN AXIAL HEIGHT AT LEASTEQUAL TO THE AXIAL HEIGHT OF THE NEEDLE BUTTS, A RADIALLY-MOVABLE FIRSTSLIDE CAM DIMENSIONED AND NORMALLY POSITIONED TO BRIDGE SAID GAP SO ASTO PROVIDE IN CONJUNCTION WITH SAID RISING SURFACE A SMOOTH,UNINTERRUPTED NEEDLE RISING SURFACE, A SECOND RADIALLY-MOVABLE SLIDE CAMHAVING A NEEDLE CAMMING SURFACE AND POSITIONED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TOSAID FIRST SLIDE AND INTERSECTING SAID NEEDLE BUTT GROOVE, SAID SECONDSLIDE HAVING A LENGTH ALONG ITS CAM SURFACE SUFFICIENT TO RAISE NEEDLESTO A TUCK LEVEL.